Category: Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Ivy and Nate join Coach Jonathan for multiple questions on nutrition that will give you actionable tips for big improvements, as well as discussions on multi-day event pacing, race anxiety, and new possible podcast host events and challenges! TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE 0:00 Welcome! 0:09 Intro 5:40 Dropper posts and other innovations in bike […]

Amber Pierce and Alex Wild join Coach Jonathan for a guide on how to crush long climbs, sleep’s effect on training adaptations, and whether it matters if you train at a specific time of day with consistency. Tune in and share this episode with your friends! TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE 0:00 Welcome! 0:10 Intro […]

Hannah Otto, Coach Chad, Ivy, and Jonathan discuss the point of anaerobic training and how strength training affects it, why different people need to warm up differently and guidance for your next warmup, how to use both indoor and outdoor training to get faster and much more. Tune in now to Episode 355 of the […]

Amber, Ivy, and Coach Jonathan discuss what HRV is, how it’s used in endurance sports, what it means if your HRV is low or high, what your HRV should be, the objective of threshold training and pro tips on how to get better at it, how to have productive conversations on sensitive nutrition issues with […]

Amber, Coach Jonathan, and Pivot Cycles / DT Swiss’s Hanna Otto join us for a discussion on whether amateurs should train like pros, the crossover effects of aerobic and anaerobic training in different zones, tips from Hannah on technique and equipment choice, and much more. Tune in for Episode 353 of the Ask a Cycling […]

Coach Chad, Amber, Nate, and Jonathan take a deep dive into stretching, if it makes you faster, how you should do it, and more in Episode 352 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast. Tune in for this and discussions on heat training, bodyweight vs. weighted strength training and much more! TOPICS COVERED IN THIS […]

Santa Cruz’s Keegan Swenson, Amber Pierce, and Ivy Audrain join Coach Jonathan for a discussion on what they do to maintain consistency, how to manage expectations after disappointing early season races, what to do if you’ve experienced a lot of improvement in the Base Phase, Keegan’s plans for the course record at Epic Rides’ 24 […]

Amber, Ivy, and Nate join Coach Jonathan for discussions on rider type discovery and development, as well as riding the line between functional and non-functional overreaching. Listen now for these discussions and much more! TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE 0:00 Welcome!  0:09 Intro 01:47 No more testing! AI FTP Detection is available now 42:03 Functional […]

Coach Chad, Amber Pierce, and Hannah Finchamp join Coach Jonathan for a deep dive into protein for cyclists, discussing how much endurance athletes of all kinds should be taking in, if you should ingest it on the bike, plant-based alternatives and more. We’ll also dig deep into VO2Max training, training stress and much more. More […]

The original crew is back! Amber, Chad, Nate and Jonathan discuss the concept of gaining weight to get faster, how to manage motivation amidst canceled goal events, how to keep your training on track while fasting and much more. More show notes and discussion in the TrainerRoad Forum. Topics covered in this episode Tri challenge […]

Amber Pierce, Alex Wild, Ivy Audrain, and Coach Jonathan go deep on how to come back to training after illness, when you should start adding races to your calendar, how to use early season training camps to boost your fitness and much more. Join us for Episode 347 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! […]

Amber Pierce, Hannah Finchamp, and Nate Pearson join us for an in-depth guide on goal setting and achieving, as well as a discussion on Hannah’s plans at Unbound Gravel, injury prevention and much more. Join us for Episode 346 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! More show notes and discussion in the TrainerRoad Forum. […]

We covered the science behind mixing strength training and endurance training in Episode 341, and now we’ll cover practical suggestions of how you can best fit them into your training schedule, which exercises are best, and get input from pro athletes on what they do. Join us for a discussion on this, high volume training, […]

Jim Miller is the Chief of Sports Performance at USA Cycling and has coached more Olympic cycling medal-winning athletes than any other coach in US history. Jim is a 5x Olympic Team Member and has coached his athletes to 5 Olympic medals, 6 World Championships, 10 World Championship Podiums and upwards of 60 National Championships, […]

Amber and Nate are back! Join us for a discussion on what muscular endurance actually is, how to train it, and how it makes you a faster and more capable athlete, as well as discussions on time-crunched training, avoiding blowing up at the beginning of rides and much more. More show notes and discussion in […]

Mentality is often what separates winners from the rest in pro fields, and while amateurs may not be able to train like pros, they can think like one. Join pro riders Hannah Finchamp and Alex Wild as we discuss strategies of how to get into the mindset of a winner, how to do sprint training […]

Is it possible to time your strength training in such a way that it doesn’t affect your cycling training? Coach Chad dives deep into interference-effect and if it is worthy of concern, as well as a guide to training plans for KOMs of different durations, how training fatigue and freshness can mask adaptations and much […]

What role does glycogen availability play in cramping and what is the latest research showing us about why cramps happen? Orange Seal Off-Road Team’s Alex Wild will join us to dig into this as well as discussing fitness plateaus, endurance athlete guidelines for protein intake and more. Join us live for Episode 340 of the […]

How much of your “race fitness” is due to improvements in capacity and how much of it comes from pain tolerance? We’ll cover this and how should average athletes and pro athletes fuel differently, get into cyclocross season and much more in Episode 339 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! More show notes and […]

Join us for a special live question and answer session with Nate and Jonathan about all things Adaptive Training! Topics covered in this episode Intro 0:00 Why did we build Adaptive Training and what is it? 0:47 How does it make you faster? 19:01 How can you use it? 30:32 What are the new metrics […]

High carb intake and endurance sports go hand-in-hand, but is this damaging to your health? Join us and Orange Seal Off-Road’s Hannah Finchamp as we dig into the relationships of glucose, insulin, and workout intensity to know how you can prioritize health and performance, and much more!

Anaerobic training is important for many athletes, but does its high-sugar burning nature lower your FTP? We’ll dig into the science of anaerobic training, lactate threshold, glycolysis, meal timing and much more in Episode 326 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Cross-training is not usually considered as necessary for cyclists, but should it be? We’ll cover the science of cross-training, how to raise power while dropping weight and much more in this episode of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

We know we burn energy in training, but what about when we recover? What processes happen in your body and how much energy does it take? In this episode we’ll cover this and go into the do’s and don’ts of training camps with two pros from the Orange Seal Off-Road Team, Hannah Finchamp and Alex Wild! Energy Cost of Recovery, Training Camps and More – Ask a Cycling Coach 324

Keegan Swenson joins us to talk about his Leadville and Breck Epic wins and to help us answer your questions on training with bad air quality, finding your strengths and weaknesses and much more. Tune in now and get faster!

We interviewed 10 of the fastest athletes taking on the Leadville 100 to find out how they are uniquely preparing their bodies, equipment and execution strategies to find success at one of the biggest mountain bike races in the world. Tune in to hear from Sarah Sturm, Eddie Anderson, Laura King, Peter Stetina, Katerina Nash, Alex Wild, Hannah Finchamp, Keegan Swenson, Rose Grant and Alex Howes!

Santa Cruz Bicycle’s Keegan Swenson joins us to talk about his two National Championship wins and his unexpectedly bumpy ride at Belgian Waffle Ride, as well as answering your questions on recovery modalities and joining us for a discussion on equipment upgrades and more.

What muscle fiber type is best for cycling, how do you influence it, and how much of it is genetic? We’ll cover this as well as pro cyclist data and why many athletes don’t share it, how to race in dangerous circumstances and manage crashes and much more in Episode 316 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Coach Chad is back! This week we dig into how VO2max affects FTP, why heart rate may be lower or higher for different people at different times, and discussions about positioning in aggressive groups, heat, crashing and more inspired by Tulsa Tough.

How to reach and maintain peak fitness for as long as possible, how many all-out efforts does a rider have each year, how to use elevation training and heat training to get faster and much more in Episode 311 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Whether it’s elevation, heat, technicality or just an abnormally strong field, going the extra mile to make sure you are ready for your goal event can make a big difference. Tune is as we discuss this, as Amber shared what she is learning about pregnancy and cycling, and as Pete shares tips on mid-ride nutrition in Episode 310 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Detraining happens any time we decrease training stimulus, but how quickly does it happen, how can you retain as much fitness as possible, and how should you adjust your race strategy as a result? Join us for a deep dive into this and many other topics in Episode 309 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Get an inside look into why and how we updated all of our training plans with data from Adaptive Training, a question from a pro cyclist on how World Tour racing differs from amateur racing, how to best use Left/Right Balance and more in Episode 308 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Why are you always hungry during rest weeks and what can you do about it? Does air density affect physiological performance, and can smelling salts make you faster? Tune into Episode 307 of the Ask a Cycling Coach for these topics and much more!

Erica Carney is one of the all-time best American crit racers, but her goal of winning a pro national criterium championship took years of hard work to achieve. Tune in as we answer your questions about tactics, bike handling and more, and discuss what Erica did to improve her tactics and abilities each year to finally win the 2017 Women’s Pro Criterium National Championship.

Getting used to race intensity can be jarring, so how do you prepare yourself before race day? We’ll cover this, a deep dive on outside interval training, various discussions on what affects recovery and how to manage it, and much more in Episode 305 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

What is the cause behind getting dropped and how do you train to avoid it happening in the future, should cyclists and triathletes maintain a caloric deficit, which supplements have the most impact on performance and much more in Episode 303 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Eamon Lucas is an American bike racer who has achieved success as a road and crit racer in the USA, racing fixed gear bikes in the Redhook Crit series for the star-studded Specialized Rocket Espresso team, and now in the intense Belgian Kermesse racing scene. Listen in as we discuss the different race tactics and cultural nuances of racing in different regions and formats that have helped Eamon be successful.

You need fitness, strategy and luck to make the sort of move that wins a race, so how do you increase your chances of winning? We’ll dig into this, adrenaline’s effect on endurance performance, and into whether or not training yourself to perform in a sleep deprived state is worthwhile for endurance athletes. Tune into Episode 300 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast now!

Where should you draw the line with aggressive racing, why your sprint power may be lower than you want and how to improve it, why over-unders are so hard and what you can do to improve with them and much more in Episode 297 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Santa Cruz Bicycles’ Keegan Swenson joins us to discuss what type of training best raises FTP, what pro athletes eat on and off the bike, the world’s most aspirational Strava segments and much more in Episode 296 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Learn from Amber Pierce, Alex Wild and Pete Morris how they read a race like a pro, how much time you need to recover between A-Races, how to use injuries to get faster and much more in Episode 295 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

How do artificial sweeteners fuel training, and are they good for athletes, tips for DIY races and match racing strategy, a deep dive on nutrient timing and how it affects training and much more in Episode 294 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

How quickly do you lose fitness and how quickly does it come back, do you get better at recovering as your training experience increases, how to improve your mental relationship with cycling and much more in Episode 293 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Training for KOMs/QOMs can be a great fallback plan for event cancellations, but how do you train for such a unique effort? We’ll cover this and how to strategically increase your training volume, how to adapt to morning workouts and much more in Episode 292 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Weight goals can seem like they are at odds with power goals, but there is a healthy way to achieve both. We’ll cover this as well as whether it is better to struggle through a workout or bail early, what is the definition of “junk miles” and if they have a place in training, and much more. Tune in now to Episode 291 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

SARMS are banned substances surrounded by plenty of confusion, so what do we actually know about them? Tune in for a deep dive into SARMS, DIY nutrition products that are cheap and accessible, and how to reduce inflammation but still prioritize recovery. All this and more in Episode 289 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

Are recovery drinks necessary if you are already topped off on carbohydrate, how to recover from overtraining, why stage races may be the best races to start with for beginners and much more in this episode of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

What is the best crank length for cycling and how does it affect your power, how to achieve mastery of cycling skills and is muscle soreness a requirement for effective strength training. All this and more in Episode 287 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Post-workout recovery routines that make you faster, what to do when you are setting PRs before your goal event, how to find motivation to train and help motivate others and much more in Episode 286 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Is low cadence more naturally efficient than high cadence, how to perform in high-pressure situations, the hosts’ favorite equipment choices and more in episode 285 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

How to get faster without a power meter, what a low heart rate actually means, a practical guide to Sweetspot training and more in Episode 284 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast!

How to stay motivated after a loss, a deep dive on triathlon transitions, pacing climbs and bike splits and much more in this special episode of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast with Sika Henry!

How to be a tough athlete, pro tips for the final kilometer of a race and why you lose most sprints, why you feel slower after a recovery week and much more with new guest host Ivy Audrain!

What happens when you do high intensity efforts during base training, what it was like for Amber to be a pro domestique, and tips for beginner racers on their first year of racing and mountain bike stage races. Tune into Episode 281 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast for this and more!

Why is asthma so prevalent in endurance sports, how to time your strength training with endurance training, ideal race-day nutrition and more in Episode 280 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Giant Factory Racing’s Eliot Jackson joins us to break down what makes pro Downhill racers unique and how average cyclists can learn from them, as well as a discussion on his Grow Cycling Foundation and how we can support them to make cycling more inclusive.

Building your fitness to improve your watts/kilo, how to prepare for rides that finish with steep climbs, how to train for team time trials and more in Episode 278 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast. More show notes and discussion in the TrainerRoad Forum. Topics covered in this episode Building your fitness to improve […]

How your body type and muscle fiber composition relates to your cycling training, improving your power and speed on descents, how to train for repeatability in races and more in Episode 277 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Retired pro cyclist Ben Jacques-Maynes joins the podcast to discuss what he learned about motivation, nutrition, training, injuries, how to maximize success and more in Episode 276 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

How to turn pro, the optimal macronutrient composition for cyclists, preventing dehydration on cold rides and more in Episode 275 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

How to improve your racing at elevation while living at low altitude, how to increase your ability to suffer, how to recover from a big training week and more in Episode 274 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Why FTP isn’t always the best measure of your fitness, how to find the right type of base plan for you, why plyometrics may help cyclists get faster and more in Episode 273 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

MTB World Champion Kate Courtney joins the podcast to give you the insights to what it takes to be a World Champion including how she builds resilience through mental training, why she uses strength training to get faster, her recovery, nutrition and more in Episode 272 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

How to quickly recognize and treat hyponatremia, how to get faster with a low TSS training plan, how EPO and your hematocrit affect your performance and more in Episode 271 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Special guest Jesse Fortson from The Successful Athletes Podcast joins Jonathan and Pete to delve into the science of his weight loss journey, how to find the right diet for you, nutrition tips to ensure you lose weight and get faster and more in Episode 270 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

MTB Pro Alex Wild joins the team to discuss how he balances riding pro MTB and a full-time job, how he uses analytics to improve every aspect of his mountain biking ecosystem from equipment to nutrition and training, a breakdown of Alex’s setup with the new Specialized Epic and more in Episode 269 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Finding the right cycling workouts to help you lose weight, how a year of training and no racing will affect your performance, the most common cycling myths debunked and more in Episode 268 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

The difference between your VO2 Max power and Max 1 minute power, how to get the most benefit from your training zones, why training can make you lightheaded and more in Episode 267 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Do carbs stop you from burning fat, why TSS doesn’t increase linearly, how to plan and recover from a training camp and more in Episode 266 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Shequaya Bailey and Marty Merritt from The Black Foxes join the podcast to discuss the goals of their organization, The Black Foxes, plus riding in wet conditions, racing and training with a fixed gear bike and more in Episode 265 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Learn how to analyze your power curve to help direct your training, what to do to end a plateau in your fitness, a deep dive into if training your ability to handle a higher cognitive load will make you faster and more in Episode 264 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Justin Williams from L39ION of Los Angeles joins the team to break down his career, sprint tactics, and more in Episode 263 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Training tips to increase your peak sprint power, how to sustainably push your physical and mental limits, techniques to improve your comfort on the bike and more in Episode 262 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Why bonking on your rides is not making you faster, how to know if you are going deep enough in your workouts, Improving the efficiency of your training in low and high volume training plans and more in Episode 261 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Precision Hydration’s Andy Blow joins the podcast this week to discuss all things hydration, including dealing with muscle cramps, balancing your sodium levels, women’s specific hydration and more in Episode 260 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Why training all your energy systems in one workout is not efficient training, the effect of anti-inflammatory drugs and foods on training and performance, how to know if you are going deep enough in your cycling workouts and more in Episode 259 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Training planning tips to reach peak fitness at your goal event, how to build your FTP and increase endurance for long efforts, techniques to manage a high training load and more in Episode 258 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

The mechanics of how your body pulls glycogen from the muscles for energy, recovery tips for triathletes to ensure they are getting faster in all 3 sports, using cycling as a replacement for swim training when pools are closed and more in Episode 257 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Techniques to improve recovery and get the most from your rest week, how to transition to cycling from powerlifting to be fast and strong, why you should be using an electrolyte or carbohydrate sports drink while cycling and more in Episode 256 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

How to use carb cycling for endurance athletes, a deeper look into sweetspot training, how genetics and age affects performance and more in Episode 255 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Training and pacing tips for your first century, tips to find the optimal bike fit for power and aerodynamics, how to stay dedicated on your diet for consistent weight loss and more in Episode 254 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Group Workouts are here so you can train and get faster with your friends, plus optimal indoor cycling setups for all budgets, how to add volume to your training and more in Episode 253 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Why you feel better after doing a workout, the science and structure behind VO2 Max training, the effect of training and activity on caffeine processing rates plus more in Episode 252 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

What to do if your events are canceled, tips to nail your outside workouts, the effect of hormonal birth control on training and performance plus more in Episode 251 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Special guest Justin Rossi from The Chase joins us to discuss his transition to triathlon and answer your training questions.

Why you don’t need openers for the Ramp Test, training your sprint for explosive repeatability, optimal pacing for rolling climbs and more is all covered in Episode 249 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Nutrition and warm up tips for stage racing, the benefits of collagen for endurance athletes, planning multi-sport training camps and more is all covered in Episode 248 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

How music during training can improve performance, strategies to eat and drink during a fast MTB race, effective and efficient carb loading and more is all covered in Episode 244 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Pro tips for racing in heavy crosswinds, how cyclists should deal with “adaptive muscle shortening, using your commute to get faster and more is all covered in Episode 243 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Setting expectations for the first race of the season, race tactics for when you miss the break, what to eat during a rest week and more is all covered in Episode 242 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Getting faster on low volume training, pro tips for racing as a solo rider, maintaining proper hydration and more is all covered in Episode 241 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Stage race pro tips, training for long events, muscle activation for proper mechanics and more is all covered in Episode 240 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Goal setting for the new year, a beginners checklist to start indoor cycling, nutrition strategies to lose weight through cycling and more is all covered in Episode 239 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Special guest Amber Pierce joins the team to discuss injury prevention by foam rolling vs stretching, maintaining stability in cross winds, developing a team race strategy and more in Episode 238 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Special guest Amber Pierce joins the team to talk about fueling for short workouts, the pros and cons of a CX bike vs a road bike, pro tips for big one-day races and more in Episode 237 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

How to train for races with fast starts, optimizing recovery when training late, the benefits of cell signaling from weight lifting and more will be discussed in Episode 236 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

The benefits of being a larger rider, when to add extra recovery, staying competitive after an upgrade to cat 2 and more will be discussed in Episode 235 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

How to plan your offseason, fixing power imbalances, optimal timing for workout fuel and more are all covered in Episode 234 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.

Upgrading race categories, the myth of “the fat burning zone,” food sensitivities vs food allergies and more will all be covered in Episode 233 of The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast.